Coalition Calls for Consideration of More Tolling
coalition of groups Tuesday called for state and local governments to consider tolling each time a new road or road reconstruction project is considered.
Citing deteriorating roads and a lack of funding to pay for needed improvements as two of the biggest challenges facing state and local government officials, the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association and allied groups called for the move.
“Roads have become a lower priority than they should be,” said Patrick Jones, IBTTA’s executive director. “The time has come for all levels of government to acknowledge they don't have the resources they need to build, maintain, and upgrade America's roads.”
Coalition members called for:
font size=4>• Including tolling as an option whenever they consider building a new road or upgrading an existing road in their jurisdictions;
• Including tolling as an option when they consider road projects that may be several years off to determine whether tolling would allow them to accelerate those projects; and
• If they determine that tolling is not appropriate, provide a publicly available explanation as to why that is the case.
Jones also presented Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich (R) and Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) with the first-ever IBTTA "challenge award" for their recent efforts to advance a study to consider adding toll lanes to the Capital Beltway, near Washington.
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